VFS Global manages visa application centres on behalf of the department.
The appointment of VFS to act as the front-end administrative function
for the department came into effect on June 20 2014. The home
affairs minister at the time told the media that the appointment of
VFS would help speed up functions and make the department more
efficient. It also freed badly needed staff from the mundane tasks of
handling forms and the collection of information.
All visa and permit applications are first processed at VFS
centres. These applications are then assessed by the department of
home affairs in Pretoria.
Applicants must now pay an additional fee to VFS, which costs up to
R3,000 a person. This fee is applied in cases such as appeals which
should be free, immigration lawyers said when it was introduced.
Immigration experts and lawyers argued then that the service fee was
not provided for in law and made the acquisition of constitutional
requirements such as identity books and birth certificates out of
reach for most.
For example, a critical skills visa an applicant who would have
normally paid the department R1,520 for the visa will also now have
to pay VFS R1,350 for the front-end service.
The minister will be expected to respond to the committee within a
week, to ensure that the matter is dealt with before parliament rises
on March 20.
The committee criticised the department for its decision to grant VFS
Global a two-year

extension, saying it is in violation of the Public
Finance Management Act and National Treasury regulations on
procurement within competitive bidding processes.
“The extension creates a perception of another Cash Paymaster Services
(CPS), which was the only service provider at the South Africa Social
Security Agency said to have the capacity to render services. It is
even more concerning that the department has extended the scope of
work of VFS to establish services in countries it did not have
previously,” said Hlomani Chauke, who chairs the home affairs committee.
He said it raises concerns about the legitimacy of the contract.
Chauke said that while the committee acknowledged that parliament had
no right to inform the department on which companies to contract for
services, it would be a dereliction of its duty if it did not
highlight cases where the department was deliberately breaking its own
rules and guidelines.
Chauke said the lack of capacity at the department to process visa
applications was raised as a matter of concern as it hampers the
drive to grow SA’s economy through tourism.
“It is even more concerning that capacity in key tourism markets, such
as Nigeria and India, is lacking, leading to fewer processed
applications and impacting on the numbers of tourists coming into the
country,” he said. V.2786

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast trac V.6139
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One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

 V.6133
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
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A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

 V.6130
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On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

 V.6131
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The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
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1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
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Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
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